Wide-range spotlight



May 29, 1928.

G. W. ALDEEN WIDE RANGE SPOTLIGHT Original Filed April 26, 1924 QZGZZOW k arz/ Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT o Fice.

GEDOB W. ALDEEN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FYRAG MANUFACTURING 1 (30., 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WIDE-RANGE SPOTLIGHT.

Application filed April 26, 1924',Seria1 No. 709,131.

This invention pertains to Spotlights of the type adapted to be mounted in the wind shield of an automobile so that the light may be manipulated from inside the car to throw the beam of projected light in any desired direction. The principles of my invention are obviously capable of employment in constructions adapted for other than the particular purpose mentioned.

One of the primary objects of this inventionis to provide a spotlight which will have a wide range of adjustment so that the beam of light may be swung through a wide arc and when in its extreme position the beam will be projected substantially parallel with a plane of the wind shield to thereby facilitate the picking up and reading of sign posts, house numbers and the like by the occupants of the car. V

Other objects and advantages of my in vention should be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view oi": a spotlight constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, reference character 5 indicates the glass or" an ordinary automobile wind shield. The glass is provided with an opening in which the supporting housing 6 of the spot light structure is mounted in the usual manner. This housing may be of any preferred construction such, for instance, as illus trated in my pending application Serial No. 692,795, filed February 15, 1924. Within this housing there is mounted for universal movement a ball or spherical member 7 through which the stem 8 of the light projects forwardly and rearwardly.

A handle 9 is mounted upon the inner end of the stem 8 in position accessible to the driver of the ear. Electric light cords 11 enter the hollow stem through the socket of the handle and a switch by which the current may be turned on and ofl' is controlled by a switch ring 12. The cord extends through the stem and is connected with a contact member 13 with which the Renewed August 15, 1927.

light bulb l4 seated in the outer end of the stem makes electrical contact. Upon the outer end oi? the'stem thereis also mounted the reflector 15 which carries the lens 16. Since the bulb, reflector and lensmay be of any preferred type the whole assembly will be referred to hereafter merely as the light- 77- The swinging movement of the light carried by the stem projecting through the universally mounted supporting member 7, which in the present instanceis spherical, is limited by contact of the stem 8 at the rear of the housing with the surrounding walls of the housing. Since a wide range of movement of the light is desirable in order that sign posts, house numbers and other objects at the side of the street or road may be brought into View, my present invention contemplates the mounting of the light so that the axis oi the projected bead or light therefrom is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis oi the stem. WVith this end in View the reflector axis, as will be apparent from Fig.1, is arranged at an angle to the axis of the stem. This arrangement disposes the light at an angle to the longi tudinal axis of the stem and when the handle is in normal position at right angles to the plane of the wind shield, the light is positioned so that its projected rays are directed in a plane intersecting the plane in which the axis of the stem lies. This is the normal and desirable position of the light in any event, since the light is employed in city driving particularly to illuminate the curb line or edge of the street, and furthermore projection of the light rays straight ahead into the eyes of approaching drivers is not only undesirable but in many jurisdictions is prohibited by the law. The disposition of the light at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the stem projects the light rays along the right hand edge of the road without the necessity of moving the handle of the light into a position at a sharp angle to the wind shield.

The light is, therefore, not only normally disposed in the proper position for driving but the mounting ofthe light at an angle aliords another and even greater advantage in that the range of the light is very materially increased. This will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1 and from which it will also be observed that when the light is angled by swinging the handle to the left, the light itself is disposed so that its rays Will be projected sideWise substantially parallel with the Wind shield. This enables the occupants of the car to read house numbers and sign posts disposed substantially at the side of the car.

It is seldom necessary to project the light to the left of the car but should it be desirable to do so this may be readily accomplished by simply moving and rotating the handle through an angle of 180 degrees, thus bringing. the light from the position shown in Fig. l to the reverse position. It WllllOE manifest, therefore, that the light is capable of adjustment to project its light rays in any desired direction through arcs of substantially 180 degrees in length.

In this form of the invention the stem is telescopically entered in a socket 18 the axis of which is disposed at an angle'to the light bulb socket 19. The relative position of the light with respect to the longitudinalaxis of the stern and the advantages in the range of the light and in its manipulation and its normal driving position are secured. While the sockets 18 and 19 may be stiaicturally independent they are shown as combined for convenience in manufacture and for appearances sake, in a sleeve-like member or bracket 21 fixed to the back of the reflector casing. The light cord 11 is extended beyondthe outer end of the stem 8 and connected With the contact member 13 Within the socket 19, the cord being entirely enclosed Within the housing member or bracket 21.

My invention, its construction, its mode of operation and the inherent advantages thereof, should be understood from the foregoing Without further description and it should be further manifest that the structural details illustrated and described are. capable of variation Within considerable limits without exceeding the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claim.

I claim:

A spotlight comprising, a housing, a light supporting stein mounted in said housing, movable relatively thereto and projecting therefrom on opposite sides, a handle on. one end of said stem, a bracket having a recess adapted to receive a lamp socket and an opening in its rear for reception of the opposite end of said stem, and a reflector, having a lamp socket therein and projecting from the rear thereof, secured to said bracket over said recess and so disposed with respect to said stern that the projection of the axis of a beam of light projected from the focus of said reflector Will lie at an angle to and intersect a projection of the axis of said stem. a i

GEDOR W. ALDEEN, 

